Okay, here is the thing, Covid won this game, more so than Philly did. So Washington has all the right in the world to make all the excuses they want for losing this game.
Washington had 23 players on the Covid reserve list by the middle of last week. We lost our top 2 QBs Taylor Henicke and Kyle Allen — Our best O-lineman Brandon Scherff. Plus, we also had defensive players, Jonathan Allen, Casey Toohill, Montez Sweat, Kendall Fuller, Cam Curl, Matt Ioannidis, Tim Settle, and James Smith-Williams. And more players were added to the Covid reserve list by the end of last week.
And on top of all that, we had players out due to injuries, like JD McKissic, Logan Thomas, and Chase Young. These last 2 are gone for the year, but Mckissic should come back soon.
Thankfully, a few vaccinated players could clear protocols and play Tuesday, but it wasn’t enough to overcome all the missing players.
To make matters worse, we had no QB, so we ended up signing Garret Gilbert from New England’s practice squad. And we had to rely on a bunch of practice squad players and backups to start this game. This was all insane stuff, to say the least.
However, once the game got going, Washington looked solid, we were up 10-3 in the 1st quarter, and things were looking promising. But then, things began to fall apart. First, Philly ran right through and all over our defense — we looked inept at stopping the run. The zone-read plays were particularly the most hurtful.
Midway through the game, we lost Landon Collins and William Jackson III to injuries, leaving Bobby McCain the only legit starter in the secondary.
Ultimately, we lost this game, getting screwed by the unfair NFL schedule and by Covid. Nevertheless, there is a silver lining here. — The Eagles barely won by 1 score and a field goal against a bunch of backups and non-starters. We would destroy this team at full strength.
Next up, Washington has to get healthy and get as many starters back as possible. We rematch Dallas at their place on Sunday evening. Unfortunately, we find ourselves once again with a short week to prepare and play this game. The good news is that Taylor Heinicke has been cleared to return to practice. Still, there are plenty of questions about who will have a chance to come back from the Covid list and who will end up playing on Sunday.
The most important thing is to protect our QB better than we did the first time we played Dallas. Heinicke cannot get roughed up as he did in week 14. If we lose this game, our playoff chances are essentially over. Washington has to BEAT DALLAS!!!
WFT 17 —27
COWBOYS 21 — NY GIANTS 6
The Cowboys got another lucky break and put a beating on the pretty awful NY Giants. Dak continues to struggle, but his defense bails him out in game after game this season. Next week, Dallas, on a short week, hosts Washington. Advantage, Washington Football Team.
The NY Giants are a total and complete disaster — and they are just about done for the year. I expect many firings here at the end of the regular season. Next week, NY visits Philly. Advantage, Philadelphia Eagles, but rooting for NY.
LA RAMS 20 — SEAHAWKS 10
The Rams have won 3 games in a row, and 2 of those games were divisional games, which has elevated LA into 2nd place behind Arizona. Next up, LA visits Minnesota. Advantage, LA Rams.
The Seahawks are essentially out of the playoff race, but they could still win out the last 3 games of the season and finish with some pride. Next up, Seattle hosts Chicago. Advantage, Seattle Seahawks.
CHIEFS 34 — LA CHARGERS 28
Kansas City has climbed up to 10-4 and is again looking like contenders. They are one win away from clinching their division. Next week, Kansas City hosts Pittsburg. Advantage, Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chargers took a major setback with this loss but are still pretty much running for a playoff spot. Next week, LA visits Houston. Advantage, LA Chargers.
DOLPHINS 31 — NY JETS 24
Miami has now won 6 straight games and is closing in on a playoff spot. Their last 3 games are against playoff teams, including a week 18 rematch with New England. Next up, Miami visits New Orleans. Advantage, Miami Dolphins.
The NY Jets at 3-11 are just playing out the NFL schedule and assessing personal for 2022. Next up, NY hosts Jacksonville. Advantage, NY Jets.
VIKINGS 17 — BEARS 9
Minnesota suffered to get this win. Kirk Cousins struggled but managed to throw 2 TDs that sealed the deal here. Next week, Minnesota hosts their old division rival, Matt Stafford. Advantage, LA Rams
The Bears are officially eliminated from playoff contention. But they should feel hopeful in what they have with Justin Fields — he looks like the real deal. Next week, Chicago visits Seattle. Advantage, Seattle Seahawks.
RAIDERS 16 — BROWNS 14
The Raiders refused to go down quietly into the night. And this win keeps them pretty much alive for a post-season spot. Next up, Las Vegas has a massive divisional game hosting Denver. Advantage, Las Vegas Raiders.
This was a vital game with playoff implications, and Cleveland needed to be at full-strength to have a shot at winning. However, Covid sidelined Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry, and Jadeveon Clowney — and they missed them dearly. As a result, the Browns are in danger of missing the playoffs altogether. Next up, Cleveland visits Green Bay. Advantage, Green Bay Packers.
COLTS 27 — PATRIOTS 17
Jonathan Taylor is by far the best running back in the NFL; he rushed 29 times for 170 yards and 1 TD to completely dominate New England. The Colts are looking like a dangerous playoff team. Next week, Indianapolis visits Arizona. Advantage, Indianapolis Colts.
The Patriots looked inept at stopping Jonathan Taylor from running all over them, and New England’s winning streak came to an end. Next week, New England has a crucial rematch hosting Buffalo. Advantage, Buffalo Bills.
TEXANS 30 — JAGUARS 16
Houston completed the sweep of Jacksonville this season and improved to 3-11. The Texans should not take too long until they are competitive again. Next up, Houston hosts Justin Herbert and company. advantage, LA Chargers
I never liked Urban Meyer; he always struck me like a piece of work — and lived up to it this season. I was surprised that he was fired during the season; I thought he would be gone for sure after week 18. The Jaguars need to go out and hire an NFL-caliber coach — someone with actual NFL experience. Next up, Trevor Lawrence visits fellow first-rounder Zach Wilson. Advantage, NY Jets.
PACKERS 31 — RAVENS 30
The Packers clinched the NFC North Division title, and now it is all about improving their position in the NFC playoffs. Next week, Green Bay hosts Cleveland. Advantage, Green Bay Packers.
Harbaugh keeps trying to take chances right out of Riverboat Ron’s playbook, and it cost Baltimore the game. You have Justin Tucker in your roster; Arguably, the clutchest kicker in NFL history — it is a no-brainer; send out your kicker John Harbaugh! and get the points. With no Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley played very well; I was impressed. The Ravens are just about out of the playoff race. Nevertheless, I still think that the AFC North will probably come down to the last week of the regular season. Next Week, Baltimore has a must-win game at Cincinnati. Advantage, Cincinnati Bengals.
BILLS 31 — PANTHERS 14
Buffalo’s running game finally woke up with Devin Singletary rushing 22 times for 86 yards and 1 TD. Josh Allen had an effective game distributing the ball to 6 different receiving targets and using his legs when needed. The Bills have snapped their two-game losing streak and are still alive in the playoff hunt. Next week, Buffalo rematches New England. Advantage, Buffalo Bills.
Cam Newton continues to be Carolina’s best option at QB, and with 3 games left in the regular season, the chatter about replacing him with Sam Darnold is pure nonsense. Matt Rule is essentially scapegoating Newton to distract from his failures as a head coach. Next week, Carolina hosts Tampa Bay. Advantage, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (rooting for Carolina).
SAINTS 9 — BUCCANEERS 0
The Saints own Tom Brady and made him look terrible here. New Orleans is now right back in the hunt for a playoff spot in the NFC. Next up, New Orleans host Miami. Advantage, Miami Dolphins.
It brings me so much joy watching whiny-ass, overrated, fake GOAT Tom Brady take a loss, especially a shutout loss to their division rival. The Buccaneers have been crystal clear about their intentions to repeat as Super Bowl champs. However, it seems highly unlikely. Next up, Tampa Bay visits Carolina. Advantage, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ( but I’m rooting for Carolina)
LIONS 30 — CARDINALS 12
Detroit shocked the NFL world here, beating arguably one of the best teams in the NFL. Jared Goff had his best game of the season, throwing for over 200 yards with 3 TDs and zero picks. Unfortunately, the celebration was short-lived, as Goff was added to the Covid list. Next week, Detroit visits Atlanta. Advantage, Alanta Falcons.
The Cardinals missed a huge opportunity to clinch a playoff spot with a win. Now they have to win their next game and get help from other teams. Next week, Arizona hosts Indianapolis. Advantage, Indianapolis Colts.
STEELERS 19 — TITANS 13
Pittsburgh’s defense showed up big-time here and kept them into this tightly close game deep in the 4th quarter. The Steelers are still alive in the playoff hunt but have a tough climb. Next week, Pittsburgh visits Kansas City. Advantage, Kansas City Chiefs.
The Titans, with this loss, missed the opportunity to take the lead as the AFC top-seeded team. Next week, Tennessee hosts San Francisco. Advantage, San Francisco 49ers.
BENGALS 15 — BRONCOS 10
The Bengals pulled out the tight win here and put themselves on the top of the AFC North division. But to clinch the division, they will have to win out their last 3 games in the schedule. Next up, Cincinnati hosts a crucial divisional game against Baltimore. Advantage, Cincinnati Bengals.
It was scary seeing Teddy Bridgewater leave the game on a stretcher and go straight to the hospital. Thankfully, he seems to be okay. At 7-7, things are looking pretty tough for Denver and their playoff hopes are dimming. Their last 3 games are against divisional opponents, which will make things very interesting in the AFC West. Next up, Denver visits Las Vegas. Advantage, Las Vegas Raiders
Rod Rioja 